Press Release - June 16, 2004

Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Canada) (HKETO) is lending its full support to the "Chinese Business Conference 2004 Canada - Trade Road to China" by participating actively as a Diamond Sponsor and assisting physically in lining up speaking engagements to introduce to participants the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangements (CEPA) and the immense benefits it offers to Canadian companies interested in partnering with Hong Kong for business ventures in China.

Organized by the Confederation of Greater Toronto Chinese Business Association, the , scheduled to take place from June 21 to June 25 in Toronto, Markham, Mississauga and Richmond Hill, will provide valuable business information and networking opportunities for Canadian companies wanting to enter into the China market or further develop their existing business with China.

As an integral part of the Conference, HKETO, in conjunction with the organizers, will launch a large-scale exhibition entitled which details how the Canadian businesses could leverage on the advantages Hong Kong enjoys under the framework of the �Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement� (CEPA), a free-trade agreement signed between Hong Kong and Mainland China, which also benefit overseas companies including Canadian companies.

The Director of the HKETO, Mr Bassanio So, will be one of the speakers at the opening session held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on June 21. The HKETO has arranged two other special guest speakers from Hong Kong to share their

valuable experiences and practical advice in doing business in Hong Kong and in China. They are the President of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Chief Executive Officer of Sun Life Financial (Hong Kong) Limited, Ms Janet DeSilva, and the President of ICS Trust (Asia) Limited, Ms Elizabeth Thomson.

As the opening luncheon speaker , Ms DeSilva will look at how Canadian businesses of all sizes are taking advantages of the Hong Kong�s strong Canadian connections to enter China and succeed. Ms Thomson will present three sessions on June 22, 24 and 25 to cover such topics as managing partner relationships, providing practical advice when considering production in China, and analyzing the various China risks facing companies as they develop their business in China.

In addition, the Principal Consultant of Invest Hong Kong, Ms Shirley Wong, and the Assistant Business Matching Manager of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council in Canada, Ms Lily Kam, will offer trade and investment advice to Canadian companies interested in entering the Hong Kong/China market.

After its launch at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on June 21, the "CEPA: Hong Kong � Your Fast Track to the China Market" exhibition will be put on display at the Conference venue at the National Trade Centre on June 22, at Markham Civic Centre on June 23 and the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga on June 24. It will be taken on a tour later in the year and early next year to various major cities in Canada including Vancouver, Montreal, Quebec City, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Winnipeg.

For more information on "Chinese Business Conference 2004 Canada - Trade Road to China", please visit www.traderoadtochina.com


For further information, please contact John Tam, Chief Information Officer at (416)924-5544, email [email protected] or Elison Chu, Senior Information Officer, [email protected]